UNDERWATER NESTING BY THE TROPICAL FRESH-WATER TURTLE, CHELODINA-RUGOSA (TESTUDINATA, CHELIDAE)

Nests of the northern long-necked turtle, Chelodina rugosa, were locat ed by surgically implanting radio-transmitters in the oviducts of grav id females so that the transmitters were deposited in the nest with th e eggs. Nests are excavated in soft substrate under shallow water in t he littoral zone of seasonally flooded billabongs during the wet and e arly dry season. Embryonic development remains arrested until floodwat ers recede in the dry season and the ground dries. Hatchling emergence presumably coincides with heavy rain or flooding at the beginning of the following wet season.